editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94International correspondent Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson is based in Berlin and covers Central Europe for NPR. Her reports can be heard on NPR's award-winning programs including Morning Edition and All Things Considered.She was previously based in Cairo and covered the Arab World for NPR from the Middle East to North Africa. Nelson returns to Egypt on occasion to cover the tumultuous transition to democracy there.In 2006, Nelson opened the NPR Kabul Bureau. During the following three and a half years, she gave listeners in an in-depth sense of life inside Afghanistan, from the increase in suicide among women in a country that treats them as second class citizens to the growing interference of Iran and Pakistan in Afghan affairs. For her coverage of Afghanistan, she won a Peabody Award, Overseas Press Club Award and the Gracie in 2010. She received the Elijah Parish Lovejoy Award from Colby College in 2011 for her coverage in the Middle East and Afghanistan.Nelson spent 20 years as newspaperNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Soraya Sarhaddi NelsonMon, 21 Nov 2016 04:31:58 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelsonhttp://wdiy.org
Soraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit MARTIN, HOST: And now to Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel announced in Berlin today that she will run for a fourth term next year. For weeks, her German and European allies have been coaxing her to declare her candidacy. Even President Obama seemed to give her a public nudge during his visit to Berlin last week. But as NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports from Berlin, the chancellor said she had major reservations about continuing in her role. SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: Angela Merkel talked about her candidacy in her usual understated manner, but with an uncharacteristic dose of humor. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL: (Speaking German). NELSON: She told reporters she's been asked time and again since her last election three years ago whether she'd run again and that her answer was always the same - I'll announce it at the appropriate time. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) MERKEL: (Speaking German). NELSON:German Chancellor Will Seek A Fourth Termhttp://wdiy.org/post/german-chancellor-will-seek-fourth-term
83893 as http://wdiy.orgSun, 20 Nov 2016 22:09:00 +0000German Chancellor Will Seek A Fourth TermSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit MARTIN, HOST: Now to France, where police are preparing to evict thousands of migrants from a notorious makeshift camp known as The Jungle. It's in the northern French port town of Calais. The eviction had been planned and delayed many times before as officials struggled to determine just what to do with the would-be refugees. But NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports that that has changed. She's with us now from Calais. Soraya, thanks for joining us. SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: You're welcome, Michel. MARTIN: So what are police planning to do with these migrants? NELSON: Well, they want to remove all of the migrants tomorrow during basically a 12-hour-long eviction that will start at local time 8 a.m. We're talking about 6,000 to 8,000 people and possibly even more because no one knows exactly how many people are here. And what's going to happen is that police are going to divide these migrants into four groups - single male adults, adults whoMass-Eviction Set To Empty 'The Jungle' Of Migrants. What's Next For them?http://wdiy.org/post/mass-eviction-set-empty-jungle-migrants-whats-next-them
82604 as http://wdiy.orgSun, 23 Oct 2016 21:07:00 +0000Mass-Eviction Set To Empty 'The Jungle' Of Migrants. What's Next For them?Soraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit SIEGEL, HOST: The leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine wrapped up a big meeting in Berlin today. They're trying to revive a peace agreement for Eastern Ukraine. The so-called Minsk Peace Accords were signed early last year, but they've done little to stop the fighting. German Chancellor Angela Merkel also had planned to use these talks to take Russian President Vladimir Putin to task over his country's actions in Syria. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson joins us now from Berlin, and Soraya, how did the talks go? SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: Well, they went very long - for about six hours. And Chancellor Merkel came out with President Hollande. She said that they didn't have any miracles - this was a phrase she had used earlier in the day, that she wasn't expecting any - but that they actually developed or they did take some concrete steps and developed a roadmap which now will be worked on next month by the foreign ministers. They got downGermany Hosts Meeting To Review Peace Deal For Eastern Ukrainehttp://wdiy.org/post/germany-hosts-meeting-review-peace-deal-eastern-ukraine
82428 as http://wdiy.orgThu, 20 Oct 2016 00:44:00 +0000Germany Hosts Meeting To Review Peace Deal For Eastern UkraineSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Refugees Detain Syrian Suspected Of Planning Attack, German Police Sayhttp://wdiy.org/post/refugees-detain-syrian-suspected-planning-attack-german-police-say
82039 as http://wdiy.orgTue, 11 Oct 2016 11:15:00 +0000Refugees Detain Syrian Suspected Of Planning Attack, German Police SaySoraya Sarhaddi NelsonArchitecture was one of Adolf Hitler's passions, and he commissioned hundreds of buildings and arenas reminiscent of imperial Rome to inspire and intimidate.It's a legacy Germany has struggled to erase by re-purposing or razing Nazi-era structures. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, for example, was placed in an old SS barracks in Nuremburg, while the German Finance Ministry took over the Nazi aviation building in Berlin.The Berlin bunker where Hitler spent his final days was reduced to a parking lot.Usually there's little or no complaint about these refurbishments. But one government-sanctioned plan for a Third Reich landmark is sparking a public outcry — a commercial exploitation of the biggest Nazi relic on the Baltic Sea coast.It's a resort Hitler built between 1936 and 1939 along sandy, white beaches for working-class Germans, one that was grandiose even by Nazi standards. Concrete dormitories that are six-stories high and 550-yards wide were erected side by side overAlong Germany's Coast, A Nazi Resort Becomes An Upscale Destinationhttp://wdiy.org/post/along-germanys-coast-nazi-resort-becomes-upscale-destination
81789 as http://wdiy.orgWed, 05 Oct 2016 09:10:00 +0000Along Germany's Coast, A Nazi Resort Becomes An Upscale DestinationSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Hungarians Vote Against EU Refugee Planhttp://wdiy.org/post/hungarians-vote-against-eu-refugee-plan
81695 as http://wdiy.orgSun, 02 Oct 2016 21:07:00 +0000Hungarians Vote Against EU Refugee PlanSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.In Germany, Far-Right Party Strikes A Blow To Merkel's Ruling Partyhttp://wdiy.org/post/germany-far-right-party-strikes-blow-merkels-ruling-party
81183 as http://wdiy.orgMon, 19 Sep 2016 10:19:00 +0000In Germany, Far-Right Party Strikes A Blow To Merkel's Ruling PartySoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.German Chancellor's Party Has Poor Showing In Her Home State Electionhttp://wdiy.org/post/german-chancellors-party-has-poor-showing-her-home-state-election
80559 as http://wdiy.orgMon, 05 Sep 2016 10:50:00 +0000German Chancellor's Party Has Poor Showing In Her Home State ElectionSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit CORNISH, HOST: This summer we've been taking you to some unusual festivals, the kind of events that take us away from everyday reality. Here's one from an arts festival in the heart of Europe where the artists' tools include the airbrush, and the canvas is the human body. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: This is the World Bodypainting Festival. I'm Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, and I'm in southern Austria in Carinthia. It's a championship that draws artists from 45 countries. It was started 19 years ago by a local by the name of Alex Barendregt. ALEX BARENDREGT: We put here, like, 150 tents and where artists can work on their - creating an entertainment world all around the body painting. KARA MICHELLE QUAYMAN: Kara Michelle Quayman (ph). NELSON: Tell me about what you're creating today. QUAYMAN: The concept is the metamorphosis of consciousness. NELSON: Your model here is being completely decked out in white. QUAYMAN: She's going toArtists Use Humans As A Canvas At World Bodypainting Festivalhttp://wdiy.org/post/artists-use-humans-canvas-world-bodypainting-festival
79662 as http://wdiy.orgMon, 15 Aug 2016 21:01:00 +0000Artists Use Humans As A Canvas At World Bodypainting FestivalSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit NPR.Anti-EU Forces In Austria Push For Exit Referendumhttp://wdiy.org/post/anti-eu-forces-austria-push-exit-referendum
79083 as http://wdiy.orgWed, 03 Aug 2016 09:30:00 +0000Anti-EU Forces In Austria Push For Exit ReferendumSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Manhunt Underway After Shooting Leaves At Least 9 Dead In Munichhttp://wdiy.org/post/manhunt-underway-after-shooting-leaves-least-9-dead-munich
78495 as http://wdiy.orgFri, 22 Jul 2016 22:33:00 +0000Manhunt Underway After Shooting Leaves At Least 9 Dead In MunichSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonIs it rape when a person has sex with someone who says "no"?It wasn't in Germany until Thursday, when the parliament cast a rare unanimous vote closing what German Justice Minister Heiko Maas described as "blatant loopholes" in his country's sexual assault laws.Previously, before charges could be filed a victim had to show police and prosecutors that she or he tried to physically resist the attacker. If a victim said "no," that alone was not enough. Maas called it a "second, bitter humiliation for the victims" when perpetrators weren't punished.Activists say it took years of campaigning and a few notorious cases to encourage German politicians to act — including a recent case involving a former contestant on Germany's Next Topmodel TV show.Gina-Lisa Lohfink, 29, is in court appealing a nearly $27,000 fine for "falsely testifying" by accusing two men of drugging and raping her in 2012. She filed the rape complaint after discovering a video of their encounter the men had uploaded to theIn Germany, Lawmakers Pass 'No Means No' Law For Cases Of Rapehttp://wdiy.org/post/germany-lawmakers-pass-no-means-no-law-cases-rape
77731 as http://wdiy.orgThu, 07 Jul 2016 20:13:00 +0000In Germany, Lawmakers Pass 'No Means No' Law For Cases Of RapeSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Amid Housing Shortage, Berlin Bans Short-Term Rentalshttp://wdiy.org/post/amid-housing-shortage-berlin-bans-short-term-rentals
77266 as http://wdiy.orgSun, 26 Jun 2016 21:22:00 +0000Amid Housing Shortage, Berlin Bans Short-Term RentalsSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Incident At Theater Rattles A Nervous Germanyhttp://wdiy.org/post/incident-theater-rattles-nervous-germany
77112 as http://wdiy.orgThu, 23 Jun 2016 17:08:00 +0000Incident At Theater Rattles A Nervous GermanySoraya Sarhaddi NelsonMaher Murad recently had a bad sore throat and decided to go see a doctor. But the 19-year-old Iraqi asylum seeker doesn't speak German. And the German physician he went to see at the shelter where he lives, just outside Hamburg, didn't speak Arabic.This kind of language barrier is common, as officials struggle to provide services like medical care to Murad and others. More than a million asylum seekers have poured into Germany over the past 18 months. The newcomers are from around the world and few speak English, let alone German.But with the help of two German entrepreneurs, doctors at this refugee camp located in a former Hamburg building supplies market can now bridge the language gap with a few keystrokes and clicks of a mouse.On the morning when Murad visited the clinic, his doctor, Martin Scherer, summoned a translator online. Moments later, one appeared on his computer screen via video-conference software. Through her, Scherer was able to ask Murad about his symptoms. SheIn Germany, Asylum Seekers' Medical Needs Are Being Containedhttp://wdiy.org/post/germany-asylum-seekers-medical-needs-are-being-contained
76642 as http://wdiy.orgMon, 13 Jun 2016 08:42:00 +0000In Germany, Asylum Seekers' Medical Needs Are Being ContainedSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonThe most tangible sign of a growing American military presence in Eastern Europe, behind the former Iron Curtain, is tucked inside a former military base in rural Romania.Hidden from view is a U.S. naval facility, where sailors use high-tech radar day and night to watch for incoming ballistic missiles fired at NATO countries. If any are spotted, the Americans would fire back with SM-3 Block IIA missiles.A second such American site will also be built in Eastern Europe over the next two years, this one near Poland's Baltic coast. It's inside a base that once belonged to the Nazis and later the Soviets.Once this site is finished, the entire $800 million ballistic missile defense shield for NATO countries in Europe, more than a decade in the making, will be complete.Top U.S. and NATO officials last week declared the Romanian facility up and running, and a day later broke ground on the Polish site. They say the state-of-the-art Aegis defense system, which will ultimately be under NATOU.S. Enlarges Its Military Footprint In Eastern Europe, To Mixed Reviews http://wdiy.org/post/us-enlarges-its-military-footprint-eastern-europe-mixed-reviews
75562 as http://wdiy.orgWed, 18 May 2016 16:06:00 +0000U.S. Enlarges Its Military Footprint In Eastern Europe, To Mixed Reviews Soraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Loss And Reunion For Family Fleeing Afghanistanhttp://wdiy.org/post/loss-and-reunion-family-fleeing-afghanistan
75419 as http://wdiy.orgSat, 14 May 2016 21:08:00 +0000Loss And Reunion For Family Fleeing AfghanistanSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Romania Hosts First U.S. Bases As Russia Distrust Mountshttp://wdiy.org/post/romania-hosts-first-us-bases-russia-distrust-mounts
75291 as http://wdiy.orgWed, 11 May 2016 20:28:00 +0000Romania Hosts First U.S. Bases As Russia Distrust MountsSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonSome of the families whose relatives went missing last Tuesday after the suicide bombings in Brussels still don't know the fate of their loved ones.Belgian volunteers assigned to help those families say with each day that passes, it becomes more difficult for them. They teeter between hope and despair and can't grieve or find closure, says Red Cross psychosocial worker Anne-Claire Henry. "They need answers, but at the moment all they have are questions — 'where is my husband, my wife, my sister?'"Henry is one of the volunteers helping the families at the Brussels-area military hospital where they wait, many with photos and other mementos they hope will speed up the identification process.Members of the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team say they have gone to the hospital once a day to update relatives on their progress. But even with 30 team members working 15 hours a day, it is slow going, says Dr. Jean Crevecoeur, a forensic dentist tasked with identifying the metro bombingSome Families Of Brussels Terror Victims Still Waiting For Identificationhttp://wdiy.org/post/some-families-brussels-terror-victims-still-waiting-identification
73159 as http://wdiy.orgSat, 26 Mar 2016 20:14:00 +0000Some Families Of Brussels Terror Victims Still Waiting For IdentificationSoraya Sarhaddi NelsonIs outer space a man's domain? You might think so in Germany, where the country's 11 astronauts have all been men. They also dominate mission control at the German Space Operations Center, although Katja Leuoth is helping to change that.Five years ago, Leuoth became the center's first female flight director. Recently, a second woman was hired, she says. They and 10 male colleagues run the European portion of the International Space Station 24/7 from the compound in the small Bavarian town of Oberpfaffenhofen.It's a challenging job, but what Leuoth really wants is to be inside the module as it floats around Earth, especially when she talks to the astronauts."We had a couple of computer issues on the ground and we asked them to reboot," Leuoth says. "And Scott Kelly was like: 'Ah, maybe that is because of some solar eruptions I've just seen.' And you're just sitting down there, like, 'whoa.'"For them, it's so common," she added. But "it's something I really would love to see."But she canWanted: Female German Astronauts http://wdiy.org/post/wanted-german-women-astronauts
72779 as http://wdiy.orgFri, 18 Mar 2016 21:08:00 +0000Wanted: Female German Astronauts